When it comes to starting a new publishing business, it’s hard to know where to start. Which direction to take is often determined by the experience of self-publishers and the advice they can provide.
Most traditional publishers are on the rigid edge of accepting anything they’re offered, believing that nothing more can be done to market their books and services. However, there are pros and cons to both approaches.
Traditional publishers have experience with the publishing process and marketing. Self-publishing authors may not have as much in these areas or might not have enough knowledge to make the best decision.
A New Era in the Publishing Industry
Traditional publishers don’t want to hear it, but the publishing world is changing very quickly. The market for printed books evolves every month. Readers want new material and are willing to pay for it.
If you want to be a successful writer, the best way is to start writing a well-made, entertaining book.
Once you will find an audience for your work, you can then monetize your efforts by selling it through self-publishing platforms.
Many people don’t know what to do once they become an author, and the publishing process is the key to learn how to make money from writing.
Break the Tradition
The traditional publishing industry consists of literary agents, publishers, printers, and other middlemen who all work together. In order to get your book to the right person, you may have to go through a process with a publishing house.
After you complete your manuscript, you will need to find an agent or editor who can market and publicize your work.
Most authors start out at a traditional publisher and only make a profit when they can sell enough copies to cover the initial expenses.
You can bypass this process if you are a self-publisher, but it takes more work, dedication, and luck. Many self-publishers eventually end up working with a traditional publisher once their books start to sell consistently.
Why You Should Become a Self-Published Author..
There are more advantages to self-publishing. Some self-made authors who have become famous with this method are Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and many others.
With self-publishing, you are the boss of yourself. You can set your own deadlines, develop your own marketing strategy, and even choose your own editor and cover designer.
That is an important advantage compared to the traditional publishing industry.
With self-publishing, you have a great deal of time to market your books, but if you don’t do your researches and if you don’t understand the publishing process, you could end up with a book that doesn’t get any resonance at all.
A traditional publisher would never knowingly accept a book that just wasn’t going to be profitable.
Word-of-Mouth is the Key
One of the major problems with self-publishing is the lack of marketing. Traditional publishers understand that they need to advertise their books to get new readers interested. This is how they build their business.
But, in the new world of the self-publishing industry, the main promotional strategy is word of mouth. You can’t buy an author’s book in a department store or in a supermarket.
You have to find your own audience as well as your spot in this ever-changing world.
A “Breath of Freshness”
Today, many self-publishing authors make a very good living selling books themselves, even if their books oftentimes were turned down by the major publishers (top-notch ones too!).
It’s the reason why newcomers in the publishing industry aren’t happy to deal with traditional publishers and their arrangements. They feel that they are being forced into a contract that isn’t in their best interest.
Most self-writers begin by working with a traditional publisher who has at least some experience in the field.
The author tries to bring his own voice and perspective to the project, but usually, it turns out that he is obliged to write what the publisher asks, according to his rules, his formats, and his tastes.
The problem is that traditional publishers interpret this business in a traditional manner. It’s a matter of changing a secular mentality that has taken root over the years and seems impossible to modify.
Self-publishing is like a breath of freshness, that tries to penetrate through a closed window!
You must understand the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Only after you can decide how to proceed. When you do, you will be well on your way to building a successful career in the publishing industry.
Now we will analyze in-deep the main advantages of Self-Publishing.
Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
We’ve seen so far that self-publishing is basically a method for writers to get published without recurring on a major firm. In a way, it’s even better than traditional publishing, but it also has several drawbacks as well.
But the trend is clear: even successful authors are now choosing to self-publish their latest books. The pros of self-publishing certainly outweigh its cons.
We will sum up as follows.
Fewer Costs
First of all, you only have to worry about paying for the publication of your book, and not any editorial costs, printing costs, or marketing ones.
If you’re a new writer who hasn’t had much experience with this type of writing, this can be a great option. But if you’ve already written several books and found out you haven’t gotten anywhere yet, you might want to go ahead and hire an editor or publish through a larger company.
Of course, you can keep your budget low. It’s a good idea to hire an agent or editor to help you to market and advertise your book, but when you self-publish you don’t need to pay another dime to an outside party. Besides, agents and editors usually charge thousands of dollars to help you get your books published.
With your own self-publishing method, you will only be responsible for printing, binding, and shipping the book to the bookstore. As a result, your costs can be significantly reduced. You can afford to have your books in your hands in a matter of weeks instead of months or years.
Greater Opportunites
You will probably get more reviews and better feedback from publishers. If you work with a professional publisher, he or she will certainly want to promote you and give you a chance to prove yourself. You may even get offers to write books for well-known authors.
All these pros are very enticing if you are a newcomer. However, a self-published author is often ignored by major firms. You need to work hard to catch their attention and produce high-quality content for their eyes.
Once done that, after several attempts, plenty of opportunities will spread out in front of you!
Manage Your Time
You can work on your own time. The biggest pro of self-publishing is the fact that you can set your own hours and write whenever you want. You can decide your own schedule. You have complete control over deadlines and review times.
When you feel you’re ready, simply go and publish your manuscript.
But it’s your choice, not somebody’s else. You take your time to decide and act accordingly, without feeling pressured by the main publisher.
Choose Your Format
You can choose your customization options and format. You can make a hardback book, an ebook, an audiobook, and more.
You can customize your book in just any format that your customers are comfortable reading in.
In that way, you can maximize all the possible sales channels that the market offers: for instance, once your book is published, you can sell it easily on Amazon or through a variety of online stores, as well as further Print On Demand platforms.
Let’s Sum Up!
Although there are many pros and cons of self-publishing, you should really look into the benefits and drawbacks first. Only then will you be able to determine if it would be for you.
There are certainly plenty of advantages and you will gain a lot of respect in the publishing industry if you pursue this path. If you are determined to make it happen, nothing will obstacle you.
All you need is the right guide.
Are you ready to start your self-publishing journey?
